What is the Blue Revolution?

• žIt is the rapid expansion of intensive, commercial aquaculture
• žCame in a decade after the Green Revolution (1970s; chemical-based agriculture)
• žIncrease global food production and reduce widespread hunger
• žBy 1985, international aid agencies were pumping $200 million a year
• žFrom 1975 – 1985, world aquaculture output had doubled
• Refers to the remarkable emergence of aquaculture as an important and highly productive agricultural activity

What is Aquaculture?

• žAlso known as aquafarming
• žDefined as the establishment of man-made enclosures to raise aquatic life forms, such as shellfish, fish, and sea weeds, for human consumption purposes
• žAquaculture refers to all forms of active culturing of aquatic animals and plants, occurring in marine, brackish, or fresh waters
• žCultivation of aquatic populations under controlled environments

Importance of Aquaculture

• ž20% of the world’s total animal protein intake is from seafood(higher in coastal communities)
• žMost pearls sold come from pearl aquaculture farms

Advantages:

• žGenerates export revenue that can be used to pay foreign debt
• žContributed to the growth of large-scale export-oriented agribusiness enterprises in developing nations
• žAllows natural populations of fish to reproduce while farmed-raised versions are being used for food
• žIntensive commercial aquaculture is relatively efficient – beef cattle require 7 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of meat; catfish require 1.7:1
• Economic value of fish is high, hence potential profits to be gained by cultivating in large quantities
• žFish are given supplement for:
• —Faster growth = increased output
• —Colour of meat (e.g. Salmon) = Aesthetically more pleasing
• —Antibiotics
• —These lead to increase in supply and export

Disadvantages

• žChemical additives like antibiotics and special feed are administered into aquaculture cages, which may contaminate the surrounding waters
• žFish have less health benefits due to injection of hormones
• žFish in captivity might escape and establish themselves in new habitat, competing and degrading native species
• žAs fish are grown very closely together, they are very disease-prone, which not only affect fish output, but other marine life as well
• žAs intensive, commercial aquaculture is very costly, only those who have enough capital to invest in commercial aquaculture actually benefit from it; Poorer farmers do not have sufficient capital
• žGenerated steady flows of polluted wastewaterand contributed to the decline of wild fisheries (Average salmon farm produces a volume of effluent equal to a town of 40,000 people)
• žPolluted wastewater caused by artificial feed,chemical additives and antibiotics and reduces drinking water
• žTriggers‘red tides’ outbreak and pollutes the foreshore with waste - an explosive growth oftoxic algae that can kill fish and fatally poison people who eat contaminated seafood
• žNew aquaculture techniques resulted in an explosive expansion of coastal shrimp aquaculture throughout developing nations in Asia and Latin America
• žDestruction of thousands of hectares of mangrove forests, which protected shorelines from erosion and were the nurseries for thousands of marine organisms

Winners & Losers

• žWealthy companies and commercial farmers benefit from aquaculture
• žCommercial companies buy poor farmers’ land cheaply
• Poor subsistence farmers did not benefit as they relied on small ponds for local consumption – commercial farming destroyed thousands of hectares of mangrove forest

Result of aquaculture

• žIn 1987 Taiwan became the largest prawn producer in the world. A year later disease struck and production dropped by 70 per cent. The industry never recovered.

Challenges faced:

žOver-fishing:

• —Fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level
• —Lead to resource depletion
• —Modern fishing gear allow more intensive fishing

žBycatch:

• —Accidentalcatch of non-target species such as sharks, turtles, seabirds
• —More than 46000 pieces of plastic litter / mile2
• —6kg of marine litter to 1kg of plankton

DEFINITIONS:

Over-fishing:
Is threatening the sustainable supply of this valuable resource and wreaking havoc on fish populations and ecosystems alike. Modern fishing gear now allows more intensive fishing in areas of the oceans that were previously inaccessible.
Bycatch:
The accidental catch of non target species such as sharks, turtles and seabirds is pushing many of them to the brink of extinction.
Pollution:
Is another marine menace. More than 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating on every square mile of ocean today. In the Central Pacific, there are up to 6 kg of marine litter to every kilogramme of plankton. The oceans not only help regulate global climate, but are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Coral reefs and mangroves are also affected.

Case study: Japan(Examples)

• žFirst to recognise era of hunting fish was ending
• žWorld’s largest marine aquaculture industry
• žBefore 1939: 76,000 tons / year,By 1987:1,100,00 tons/year
• žAlong coastlines, Japanese farm fishes with high market value
• žDisease and pollution problems emerging
• —Fish waste and uneaten fish food accumulate at bottom of sea
• žSludge below cage sites > 30cm
• žStifles growth of aquatic organisms and worsen water quality
• ž‘Red tides’

Case study: Bangladesh

• žThousands of farmers have suffered from the invasion of their ricelands by aquaculture owners
• žDestruction to their rice crops by seepage of salt water from the shrimp ponds
• žShrimp owners bought their rice farmers’ infertile lands very cheaply, rendering them landless. One study estimated that 300,000 people were displaced from their farmlands by in the Stakhiraregion
• žDisputes between farmers and aquaculture owners have often led to violent clashes

PROS OF BLUE REVOLUTION:

• Reduces strain of commercial fishing on wild marine population.
• Increased seafood production through use of technology in fish farming.
• Ensures a steady suply of seafood.
• Stabilises the price of seafood.

CONS OF BLUE REVOLUTION:

• Poor fish farming practices lead to problems such as:

1. Escaped farmed fish, which pose a biological threat to wild fish populations.
2. Discharge of nitrogen, phosphorous and waste matter into the sea, which pollutes the marine environment.
3. Introduction of antibiotics and other chemicals into the sea, which affect marine organisms and harm people who eat contaminated seafood.
4. High set-up and maintenance costs restricts adoption of blue revolutionto wealthy fish farmers

<--Agriculture management

DONE BY:Sara,Amanda,Kennedy,ZiShu,YuShi and Chen Yun:)

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